


Jagged Edges

by ReinePearl



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Draco Malfoy in the Muggle World, Eventual Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, F/M, Friendship, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Inter-House Unity, M/M, Minor Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Minor Neville Longbottom/Luna Lovegood, Minor Seamus Finnigan/Dean Thomas, Not Canon Compliant, Original Character-centric, Past Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Pining, Triwizard Tournament, Voldy Problems
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-08
Updated: 2017-04-03
Packaged: 2018-08-07 13:02:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7715836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReinePearl/pseuds/ReinePearl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Cassiopeia Malfoy receives a letter from a school called Hogwarts (what kind of name is that),  she finds that her adoptive father has been not-quite-lying-but-omitting-an-awfully-lot of things from her. Along with unexpected allies, Cass stumble upon deeply buried secrets. Some pasts just refuse to remain 6 feet underground. When a prank goes out of hand and spirals into something the kids can't deal with alone, the legendary Boy-Who-Saved-Them-All (aka the messy DADA professor) and former Slytherin Prince have to work together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter series  
> It's going to be eventual Harry and Draco... eventually. This also pretty much diverges from anything right after the war, so there are no Scorpius, James Potter (II), or Lily Potter (II).

The brick wall stood as solid as any other. Shouldn’t there at least be **some** sign that this wall was magical? _Honestly, whoever made the barrier took their job a bit too seriously._ Cass squinted distrustfully at the supposed magical barrier, her knuckles turning white over the handle of her luggage cart. Her papa had reassured her over and over again that the wall would easily let her through. And her papa was rarely wrong. Key word: **rarely**. 

According to him, all his Cassiopeia needed was faith that she would appear on the other side. And wasn’t **that** just great. Because as luck would have it, faith just so happened to be one of the very few things Cass was willing to admit she lacked. Besides, if her papa had really been so sure she’d be fine, why did he look like he lost his child to a war as she left their small flat? 

Cass wished that her papa had come along, even if he had to drink that disgusting-sounding poly-something-or-the-other mentioned in the potions book. It’s too late now. After all, **she** was the one who insisted that she’d be fine on her own. False bravado goes hand-in-hand with shovels and graveyards. She should at least know thatby now. Still, letting him hide for just a bit longer was the least she could do. 

Her papa had recently confessed his wizardry roots. His penchant for saying “Merlin” in place of the usual “God” or “goodness” suddenly made a lot of sense. He revealed that he didn’t want to return to Wizarding London to avoid seeing his parents, but Cass was sure that can’t be all there is. 

She knows that he knows that she knows that his relationship with his parents is strained at best, but she also knows that he doesn’t know that she knows that he stays up late to write them (even if she’s never seen him mail the letters). _There must be something else._ What could be bad enough to make him, textbook helicopter parent, suddenly decide to give her a chance to explore Diagon Alley alone? 

He never even allowed her to venture out alone to Tesco down the block, a ten minutes walk from home! Apparently, he wanted her to believe that an urgent software commission kept him from shopping for school supplies with her. _Of course, papa **did** make a fuss._ She wondered just how many surveillance and protection spells he casted before letting her go. Cass shuddered, recalling the literally shocking welcome-back hug and the hole he drilled in the intricate living room carpet. He probably paced back and forth for the entire afternoon she was gone. 

Cass was willing to bet her puzzle pendant that he got a lot of work done, alright. If only rug destruction was part of his job description. _Urgent deadline—what nonsense,_ Cass scoffed at the lie. For Merlin’s sake, she’s eleven—not four anymore. Besides, she’s lived with him long enough to understand that no “pending” project ever remained incomplete within a week of its deadline. As if her papa was even capable of procrastination. Ha! She, on the other hand, is a master at the art. 

Cass checked for the fifth time to see if she was indeed between platforms 9 and 10. After all, better safe than sorry. She inspected her nails (not a chip), readjusted her necklace, and smoothened the white rounded collar of her coral, ruffled dress. Cass pushed the cart a centimeter forwards before deciding her hair was out of place. Never mind that running meant her hair would resemble a half-pitched haystack afterwards. Cass stopped to toss back long honey curls. _Better._ Then a rather upsetting wrinkle on the lace sleeve hemming caught her eye. _What would papa say about being so untidy?_ Just because she was likely to crash into a wall and bleed to her untimely death doesn’t excuse her from propriety! 

Finally, everything was perfect. _Tsk._ Cass squared her pointy chin, body tensing as she prepared to sprint into the wall. She really didn’t want to, but… 

“Y-you might crash going in like that!” 

_Thank Merlin!_ Cass whipped her head around to face the owner of the soft voice. A lanky java-skinned girl’s bespectacled umber eyes greeted Cass. The girl had her own cart of luggage, and in it was the cage of a small owl. _Hogwarts-bound_ , Cass registered, surprised that another magic student ( _wizards and witches_ , she reminded herself of the correct terminology) was up so early. 

Originally, Cass had dragged herself up at the crack of dawn after abusing the snooze button just so she could get through this before anyone else arrived. It just wouldn’t do for her to look so obviously clueless. Still, she had to admit that seeing the other girl was a blessing in disguise. The girl was fidgeting, waiting for a response. Cass wasn’t quite sure what to say to kids her age. 

Her papa claimed that being too brash or blunt with words would isolate her. He had told her that other kids would be more delicate and sensitive, unlike himself. (Though Cass thought her papa is quite the sensitive person. And she told him so, causing him to huff in protest and immerse himself in work for a couple of days. He would bring it up every so often, “See? I didn’t say a single word to that man who just cut in line just now. I’m not **sensitive**.” Her case quite proven.) He wanted her to make friends or something. He emphasized how making friends are important for her development and how they are helpful for when she is “released from school and into society.” 

Cass refrained from asking where his were. Contrary to his belief, she knew when to sheath her metaphorical knife _thank you very much_. Cass still couldn’t believe that he tried to have her practice acceptable introductions. Did he not know how to make friends when he was younger? How hard could it be, she thought at the time. Now, Cass wracked her brain to come up with a friendly greeting and was drawing a blank. 

Before the hyperventilating girl would decide whether to scuttle away, wring her hands off, or faint (all of which seemed equally likely at that point), Cass decided to flash her a small smile. _You can’t go wrong with smiling, right?_ Sure enough, the other girl’s face instantly brightened. A set of dimples appeared on her slim cheeks, as a shy grin stretched across her face. 

“Thanks for warning me. I’m a bit new to… magic. I’m Cassiopeia. You can call me Cass,” she decided to just behave as usual. After all, her papa liked her well enough. Cass held herself with an air that made her petite form seem much taller. 

“My-my name is Susan. I didn’t mean to interrupt or anything it’s just—I just… I-I-I wanted to um, help if I could. I don’t mean that you aren’t able to do it yourself. I just meant, um, well, I’m Susan. I-I just wanted to introduce myself—seeing that you’re probably going to be going to Hogwarts too. I thought you might be a first-year like me and—um…” The girl’s voice trail off after fumbling through her introduction. 

_Am I doing this wrong, or is she like this to everyone?_ Cass was unsure of how to react, and Susan’s posture shrunk even further. 

“A new friend already, Susie! See, we told you you’d be fine! Did you see that, Dean?” The Irish lilt belonged to a sandy-haired man. _Where did he come from? Can wizards teleport?_

“D-dad!” Susan flushed neck-up. She turned to the tall, dark-skinned man beside the Irish man. __

The taller man—Dean—just smiled, clearly happy for her. “Susan, I’m sure you’ll do great at Hogwarts. You don’t need to worry about making friends, now.” 

“Father…” the girl mumbled under her breath, clearly embarrassed. Susan began to resemble a tomato so much that Cass let out a muffled laugh. The three turned their attention to her. 

Susan’s eyes looked like overfilled water-balloons, ready to burst without a moment’s notice. _Only **children** cry. Aren’t you eleven already? Merlin, no!_

“Sorry, it’s just that you were glowing! _Literally._ Anyway, it’s my first time going to a school, so you’re my first friend too,” Cass quickly explained. She was not a plumber, and she did **not** want to deal with broken facets anytime soon. 

Susan and her father’s resemblance was obvious when they smiled. She had Dean’s oval face, eyes, mouth, dark hair, height, and even dimples. A pang of jealousy staked through Cass. 

She and her papa both have pointy chins; however, that was the extent of their physical similarity. His hair is straight and so blindingly blond, it could be silver; hers is loosely curled with a honey-copper tone. His eyes are sharp pools of mercury; hers are wide, doey ambers. Her papa has long slender limbs that enhanced his stature, while Cass isn’t exactly tall. The librarian even once asked if her papa was a model or something, which would have put Cass in a good mood for the rest of the day—then he ruined it by saying that she must take after her mother. What was **that** supposed to mean? 

It wasn’t like she was particularly sensitiveabout their lack of blood relation or anything. Sensitive is her papa’s thing. Cass just felt that the neighborhood crime rate be far too low if people were bored enough to care about others’ family life. What’s it to them, anyway? At first, she settled by flashing eyes of death upon the souls foolish enough to point it out. But really, she eventually admitted to herself that a permanent scowl wasn’t the universal solution. Cass started to do what she could. 

And if her papa noticed the way Cass started adopting his mannerisms, he didn’t mention it. It wasn’t exactly easy: adapting to what she used to call “posh-speak”, learning to draw herself up to a confident stance instead of automatically shrinking to avoid attention. But piece by piece, she consciously replaced old habits with new ones **.** She barely managed to hold back a delighted squeal when the lady in line to be rung up at Tesco commented that Cass was so much like her papa. Cass found that she didn’t mind the neighborhood crime rate quite as much. It wasn’t until they celebrated her first birthday together that Cass realized that she was no longer **acting** different—she had **become** different. 

She’s still hopeful that she’ll hit a growth spurt and grow much taller someday. After all, her papa did mention that he was a small child as well. 

It didn’t change the fact that Cass felt slightly dwarfed next to the other witch, who was still exchanging goodbyes with her family like she was off to fight in a ten-year war. 

“I’ll owl you tonight.” Susan was beginning to sound like a broken record at this point. Finally, the dark-haired girl hugged her family before scooting closer to Cass. “Sh-shall we be on our way?” 

She guided Cass’s attention back towards the platform. Still red—albeit no longer a tomato—Susan recommended Cass to run while imagining that the wall was a bubble film. 

Cass could feel the exact moment she passed through the barrier. Her skin tingled a bit as she hit the wall. _Susan’s right._ It did feel like she passed through a film of sorts. 

Beyond the wall was a station very much like the muggle one. The idea that such a massive construction could be hidden away from the rest of the world so easily with magic…. _Brilliant._ Cass turned her head in all the angles a human neck possibly could. As if compelled by magic, she was rooted to the ground. 

It wasn’t until a squawking owl and its equally squawking owner hurtled into her, that the spell broke. Cass’s mouth parted with the groan was stuck in her throat. The world was spinning around and around. The view was so pretty from the ground. The ceilings were not as dirty as Cass expected a station’s to be. 

_Of course, a magic station would be cleaner. Than a muggle one. There probably are spells just for cleaning! Is that why our flat is always so spotless? Since both of us never clean anything…._

“I-I’m so sorry! Are-are you alright Cass?” A voice bordering hysteria disrupted her musings. Cass squeezed her eyes shut, failing to block out the suddenly too-bright lighting. 

“Cass? C-c-can you hear me?” No answer. Susan’s lower lip wobbled uncontrollably as flashes of newspaper headlines ran through her head. **Early-Morning Tragedy at Platform 9 ¾** and **Hogwarts First-Year Murders Muggle-born!** Her head spun with the ghastly images of being hauled off to Azkaban. 

“Susan…” 

Susan had never been so glad to hear a disoriented groan of pain. Not that she wanted anyone in pain, of course. 

Cass slowly rolled herself upright. There were still spots, but images were beginning to focus. 

_That was foolish._ Cass mentally scolded herself. _Didn’t papa always say “never neglect your surroundings”?_

“It wasn’t exactly **your** fault. Obviously, you had to come through too,” she tried to calm the anxious girl. If Cass wasn’t sure how to deal with tears, she certainly hadn’t the slightest idea how to deal with panic attacks. It took remarkable self-restraint on Cass’s part to resist her habitual whinging, and she was proud of herself for that. Very proud. 

“H-here, l-let me get your stuff!” Susan barely finished her sentence before scrambling to retrieve Cass’s few belongings scattered on ground. “W-we may have c-come a little too early.” 

Arms crossed, Cass primed herself to defend her brilliant plan before she realized that the train would not arrive for at least another two hours. Perhaps she really had come just a little too early. The girls slowly made their way to the benches near the back in comfortable silence. 

“S-so, you’re muggle-born? N-not that there’s anything wrong with that! M-most wizards, e-even p-purebloods don’t really mind muggles anymore. S-since, um, the… war.” Apparently, the silence wasn’t comfortable enough. Cass gave her a slight nod of confirmation. 

Susan hurried on as if to clear up any possible misunderstandings. “My-my parents fought in the war against the d-dark forces when they were st-still in school!” 

“The men from earlier?” Cass scrunched her brows, recalling Susan’s close resemblance to one of them. 

“Yes. They took me in when my biological parents died in an accident while travelling. I was only three when it happened, so I barely remember them. Father is actually my uncle. Dean and Seamus are both my parents.” Susan’s voice was quiet but hard—at least harder than Cass had ever heard her. Cass wonders at how protective the timid girl was of her family. _We’re similar._ Cass could guess why. Her blood still boils at the memory of a neighbor’s implication that a single father could not raise a child well. Her papa was doing just fine. Better than fine, in fact. 

“I’m adopted too.” Susan’s glasses nearly slipped at the abrupt confession. Unexpected camaraderie swept between the two. Shy smiles were exchanged bolstering Susan’s confidence. 

“Oh… are your parents also, um…?” 

“Papa is the only family I’ve ever had.” And it was clear that the subject was closed. 

The air felt stuffy as other students began shuffling through the barrier. This time, Cass broke the ice, and Susan was only glad to move on. 

“What’s your owl’s name?” 

“H-his name is Giant. My parents got him for me as my, um, birthday present. He may be an elf owl, but he’s just as fast and strong as any tawny owl!” 

“So you **are** capable of speaking without stuttering. As long as you’re being defensive, at least. Stutters are absolutely horrid. For Merlin’s sake, stop tripping over words when you’re perfectly capable of holding conversations properly!” 

“I-I can’t. I-I’ve always b-been this way—” Susan tried to protest before she was cut off. 

“People can change. **You** definitely can.” Cass had long since deleted the word _can’t_ from her vocabulary. 

While Susan’s shy personality kept her from initiating friendships in primary school, Cass had never been to school at all. Neither were exactly model social butterflies. 

After spending the better half of an hour comparing the wizarding world with muggle society, both girls had gotten a better picture of the other world’s customs and devices. Susan had been surprised to learn that muggles were actually quite similar to wizards, but only without magic and more devices. Susan had been bewildered by the concept of still photos, while Cass just likened wizard photography to gifs. Cass specialized in simplifying things. _Of course, wizards aren’t much different from muggles. After all, papa is a wizard who lives in London perfectly fine!_

“I think you might like wizard sweets. They sound a bit similar to muggle snacks. But just a little bit different. With more of a… flair.” Susan slowed her speech to minimize her stutters. _She did it!_ Cass inwardly cheered for her friend. 

Before Susan could elaborate, a shrill screech indicated the arrival of Hogwarts Express. Since she barely had the minimum supplies, Cass had no trouble gracefully gathering her things. 

“Come on!” A Cheshire grin briefly appeared on Cass’s face before she disappeared from Susan’s sight. 

“Cass!” Susan fumbled with her many bags before darting towards the platform after the smaller girl. Cass was surprisingly fast. Susan finally caught up to Cass, who waited by the platform. The girls beamed as they boarded, faces flushed with excitement. 

As expected, most of the students were not there yet. They randomly entered an empty room. Cass promptly locked their compartment. “More room to ourselves. Wouldn’t want it to get stuffy.” 

A knock promptly came at the door. Cass glowered at the offending piece of wood. Then at her friend. _What’s she giggling for?_

Susan moved towards the entrance as Cass huffed. There on the other side of the door stood a round-cheeked boy and his toothy grin. He was in robes, new and non-descript. 

_First-year._

“Hi, my name’s Thomas. Would you mind if I sat here with you two? No one I know’s here yet.” Susan’s face lit up at the prospect of making not one, but two friends on her first day. 

“We still haven’t changed yet.” _Papa said no boy friends._

“Oh. Alright….” As the boy started to turn away, Susan visibly deflated. 

“Do you want to wait outside for a bit?” Her papa didn’t need to know. Cass decided that her decision couldn’t be wrong after seeing her friend perk up instantly. 

Besides, Thomas looked a bit familiar. His hair wasn’t quite as light, but his eyes looked almost grey in dim lighting. 

“Sure!” 

Cass was sure she had never changed this quickly before, as she tried to match Susan’s speed. When they slid the door open, the girls found another boy standing beside the blond. **_Another_** _one?_ Susan quickly invited them in. 

Apparently, the boys’ parents knew each other from “way back”. Whatever that meant. Thomas was introducing the taller boy but Cass was never one to pay much attention to words. 

Thomas’s obvious warmth and big gestures sharply contrasted against the black-haired boy’s polite smile. The smile—if it could be called that—misses the boy’s eyes by a yard. 

Cass was sharply reminded of how much she hated it when her papa did that. When he talked “nice” with rude clients he needed but didn’t like. When he made “small talk” with the gossip lady two doors down, who has nothing better to do than discuss his missing wife. She could barely stand it when her papa put on a mask for others. _And at least **papa’s** good at it. Unlike him. _

She wanted to call him out on how fake he was. But her papa had said that kids had delicate sensibilities, and she was obviously capable of self-restraint. Despite what her papa thought. Cass ignored the boy and the raven nest that’s supposed to be his hair. Taking a seat by the window, she smoothened out the microscopic wrinkles on her new robes and flipped her long honey-brown curls over her shoulders. Cass inwardly fumed, seeing from her peripheral vision how the newcomer strode in as if he owned the train. Honestly, Cass didn’t exactly own the compartment either, but she was here first. 

“My-my name is S-Susan! Are you—?” Half of Susan’s question was caught in her throat. Cass’s quizzical look at the stars in her friend’s eyes went unnoticed as the girl continued gaping at the intruder. 

“Yeah,” he flashed her a small smirk for a second before turning to Cass. His curious frosted moss eyes settled on her as he waited expectantly. 

Cass pointedly refused to acknowledge his presence. She could see Susan and Thomas exchanging anxious glances from the corner of her eye. The boy’s expression faltered, and his head tilted and brows furrowed. _Yes, I win!_

“I’m Albus Severus Potter. Normally, I’d prefer Severus, but you can call me Sev,” the black-haired boy offered his hand, voice quiet but confident. 

“Cass is fine,” her words flowed like spilled tea down the opposite end of a dining table. Can’t take that back now. _Old habits die hard._ “I’m Cassiopeia.” 

“My dad is Harry Potter, you know.” Albus Severus Potter seemed certain that would amaze Cass for some reason. She scowled and returned his gaze impassively. After all, Cass was not one to be easily impressed. 

“So what? _My papa_ is—” Cass was jolted by the boy’s burst of relived laughter. “What?” Cass felt her cheeks burn at being laughed at. She will not stand for this. Cass nearly jumped to her feet when she saw Susan and Thomas’s surprise. Then it dawned on her. “Oh, Is Harry Potter a famous celebrity or something?” 

Apparently, she guessed correctly. The boy finally began to sober up, and his snorts tapered off. 

“Is he an actor?” And the howls started again. _What in Merlin’s name is going on?_


	2. Chapter 2

            The muggle-born witch felt her cheeks warm as she silently huffed. She never liked it when her papa made hidden jokes (something about a big bog when he complained about what a nightmare his business trip to Florida was), and now Cass sensed that she was missing out on more than just a punchline.

            “What do you know about the war?” Severus dropped onto the seat across from Cass. Now that his gaze no longer frigid, Cass noted that his eyes were quite the bright green. Thomas merely plopped down beside him, nonplussed by his friend’s change in demeanor. Not wanting to be left standing alone, a still confused Susan followed suit.

            “Afghanistan or Iraq?” She and her papa both adored that BBC series. Serverus’s hair really does remind her of it…

            A sharp gasp from Susan brought Cass’s attention back to the present. _And papa thinks **I’m** dramatic._

            “I’m muggleborn, you know. Of course I don’t know anything about Wizarding history. Just because **your** parents fought in it doesn’t mean **mine** did.”

            “B-but, the letter had a small segment….” And by small segment, Susan meant a five-foot condensed version of the seven-volume best-seller, The Boy-Who-Lived and the Wizarding War of the Twenty-First Century.

            “Well, technically nearly all everyone our age’s parents were in the war somehow or another,” Thomas debriefed her with a smile. “So for us kids with parents who were heavily involved with the Order, we get a bit of… special attention. And there’s certain expectations that comes with being ‘The Heir of the Great Hero’, so Sev can get a bit….”

            _And why are **you** , son of the great Neville Longbottom, so chummy with strangers?_

“Yeah, sorry ‘bout earlier,” Severus added with a rueful grin.

            Susan’s eyes widened as she realized that she also imagined that the boy would be somehow different. That he would be… something. Perhaps the son of Harry Potter would be much more mature that all the other students or know all the spells for Hogwarts or have a magical core so great that— Honestly, Susan wasn’t sure, but she had been so certain that he would be someone magnificent even at age eleven.  Her parents had mentioned that they had known Harry Potter from school but they’ve been out of contact. The only thing she knew about the Potters, she learned from the Daily Prophet. But here was Albus Severus Potter, and she might be able to be **friends** with him! Susan bit her lips in shame for having those expectations of him. But it wasn’t as if she only saw him as Harry Potter’s son, right?

“So um, start over? I’m Sev,” The young Potter stuck out his hand and held his breath.

_So **this** is what papa meant by being bad at introductions. _

            “Cass. Nice to meet you.” Cass grinned at the thought of someone actually benefitting her papa’s introductions practices.

            The new friends chatted and exchanged music recommendations. Unsurprisingly, Cass recommend a classical piece (“Chopin **is** every-day music!”). Despite their differences, the kids found that they fit well together. It wasn’t until the train began to move that they realized how long they had been talking.

            The sounds of flapping wings fluttered through the compartment. Both boys were already holding onto their owls’ cages, while Susan reached for hers.

            “Do all students have their own owls for mail?”

            “Not all. But generally a student’d choose to bring an owl as a pet. It’s faster mail this way. Also, they’re great creatures! Aren’t you, Toto?” Thomas cooed at his bird. “Toto here’s a barn owl. I named her after the first muggle movie I watched!” Cass wasn’t sure if the blond was more proud of his owl, the fact that he named his own owl, or that he watched a muggle movie before. _Why didn’t he name her Oz? Does this kind of make him Dorothy?_

            “Oh, and I mentioned before that Giant is the smallest breed of owls, but he’s very good at his job!”

            “Axel is a snowy owl. He’s pretty well known in our family for being smart.”

            As the three took turns bragging about how amazing their owl was, Cass couldn’t help but feel that an owl would be both a great investment—messenger and companion. It’s a shame, but she reckons that she’ll buy one some day (hopefully before her Hogwarts years are over).

            “Owls sound lovely.”

            “Why didn’t you get one?” Severus asked as he fed Axel from his hand.

            “Well, Hogwarts isn’t cheap. It was probably difficult for Papa to pay for the required supplies already. A pet is a luxury I cannot afford,” despite her words, she spoke with an aristocratic tone.

            Growing up under the scrutiny of the Wizarding Society had taught Sev tact and gifted him the uncanny ability to keep his expression neutral. Unfortunately, Thomas and Susan had no such thing. Thomas’s mouth fell open in disbelief before he snapped it shut, realizing how rude he looked. Susan, however, completely disregarded social politesse altogether.

            “R-really? I-I was certain that you were from a rich family!” Susan just barely refrained from prying about Cass’s family. She still felt chills from the way Cass shut her out when she asked about her parents.  

            “Well, I’m quite certain that Papa came from a fairly affluent family, but because of me… For some reason, he chose to be my family.” Cass bit her lower lip before she recovered her haughty bearing. “Anyways, he adopted me. He chose to live with me instead. All that I know, I learned from Papa. He’s really smart, you know. He finished a four-year programming degree in just two years!” Cass glowed with pride.

            “That’s amazing!” And he truly meant it. Sev had his aunt to thank for his muggle sensibilities. Thomas and Susan nodded in agreement. They may not know enough about muggle education to fully appreciate the brilliance of his achievement, but they were positive that Cass has high standards for—well—everything.

            “But I’ll save up and buy my own. My papa says I’ve a gift for numbers. Budgeting is a slice of pie!”

            “Um, did you mean cake?” Susan was pretty sure that the idiom was the same for both muggles and wizards alike. She read fascinating books on muggle terms and knew the similarities and differences between muggle and wizard language quite well.

            “No… I meant pie. You know, like number pi” Cass furrowed her brows at their confusion. “3.14159…? Oh never mind.”

            Severus knew what pi was. As the future heir to both Potter and Black fortunes, he had to learn advanced arithmetic from a young age. The young Potter just couldn’t imagine how it would feel to live on a limiting budget.

            “On a completely different note, did you guys all go to Ollivander’s for your wands?” the blond youth changed the subject as he reached for his own wand to show the group. “Thirteen-inch, apple wood with a dragon heartstring core! Mum says it’s ‘cause I’m good with magical creatures.”

_What does that have to do with anything? Oh… the wand lore. Anyways, are we even supposed to be telling people about our wands?_

            Susan was just as eager to show off her own. “Mine is nine inches, and it’s made of Willow wood with Unicorn hair.”

            Cass felt a bit silly for keeping hers in the case when she realized that everyone else kept theirs in their robe’s inner pockets. _It must be normal, I suppose. A bit like bragging about car specs…._ She purposefully cleared her throat.

            “Twelve and a half inches of Elm wood with a phoenix feather core. My papa said it’s ironic because I’m muggleborn. They used to say that only purebloods could use Elm wands, you know.” A small giggle escaped her as she recalled the amusement on her papa’s face. “And Mr. Ollivander said that someone from our year has my wand’s brother, which is apparently super rare. Anyways, how does he know they’re not sisters?” Cass reached for her wand case.

            The instant Cass brought hers out, light golden sparks flew out towards Sev. Sev’s wand returned deep silver flames. The owners of the haywire wands were stuck in place as the wands attempted to overpower the other.

            Susan tugged on the sleeve of Thomas’s robes to break him out of his reverie. Together, the two scrambled to “safety” behind the bags in the small luggage corner and stared wide-eyed at the spectacle before them. They hid themselves not a moment too soon as the whole compartment was quickly enveloped by swirls of gold and silver.

            Cass felt a definite pressure in her mind, enough to start giving her a headache. She wasn’t sure what was happening, but she was stubborn enough to continue the battle of mental fortitude. A dome of light surrounded them. _Bloody… this ain’t normal is it!?_

            ‘It’s not,’ Sev answered mentally.

            ‘Telepathy? What!!?’

            ‘I can’t believe it…Priori Incantatem. This only happens when brother wands meet, which is rarely ever! The one who loses will have all casted spells re-casted in reverse order and it might recognize the winner as its master. Since they’re new wands, one of us can just yield.’

            ‘Why does it feel like you skimmed over something super important?’

            ‘You’ll be fine. Just yield, alright?’

            ‘How are you so sure that we won’t be harmed if it’s so rare?’

            ‘My dad went through the same thing when he fought Voldemort.’

            ‘Your dad too? Not so rare now is it?’

            ‘Merlin, just trust me and yield!’

            ‘I do trust you—I just don’t want to surrender! You yield!’

            ‘I don’t want my wand to recognize anyone other than myself, alright?’

            ‘Well I’m not exactly looking forward to mine listening to you either, you know!’

            ‘Mulish brat!’

            ‘Obstinate prat!’

            For what seemed to be hours, they were locked in stalemate. Suddenly, Cass and Sev were both flung to the ground by the pressure of dispelled energy. The entire train rocked with the force. Light dissipated, leaving four mystified soon-to-be-first-years on the floor. The kids took in one another’s disheveled forms. Nobody knew who giggled first, but soon it didn’t matter. Soft giggles quickly escalated into manic guffaws. They couldn’t be blamed for the hysteria. Nearly dying will do that to anyone. Even the son of the Great Harry James Potter.

            “What is going on? Explain, Albus Severus Potter!” It wasn’t until then that they realized that the door broke down some time during the deadlock and the entire student body had been watching them. A girl in red and gold with a red broom for hair towered over them, hands on her hips. The crowd of students stared and whispers of “Potter” could be heard.

            _Whoa, what a scary face._ Severus was smiling again—almost like when they first met. But this time, the expression was more realistic. It was almost like… _papa’s anger._  

            “Alright, nothing to see here.” The young Potter addressed the audience. “It’s just a bit of Priori Incantatem.” As expected, the buzz got louder. Sev wasn’t just feeding the gossip mill. Even if he kept quiet, people would still talk. _But this means they can’t make up stories too far from the truth. Well, that’s what papa said before._

            “Rose…” an embarrassed first-year stood behind her. _Siblings?_ They sure looked like it to Cass.

            “Hey Rose, Hugo,” Sev introduced them, “My cousins Rose and Hugo; Susan, Cass.” Cass instinctively fixed her bangs and readjusted the askew rhinestone headband. “Was that really Priori Incantatem earlier?” Light blue eyes flickered between Sev and Cass. Cass nodded. This was far from the first time Cass confirmed something she wasn’t sure of. “Wow… Well, good thing you won, Sev. I **know** that you tried some spells over the summer. Spells that you **really** should not have done outside of school, like ‘diffindo’ for one.” The crowd look at Severus with awe.

            “ _Excuse me?!_ Sev did _not_ win.”

            “Just admit you lost, princess. It was a close one, I’ll admit that much.”

            Cass huffed at the boy’s arrogant smirk.

            “I _too_ experimented with spells over the summer after I bought the textbooks. According to you, my spells should have been re-casted if I did indeed lose, which means I clearly did not. No explosions, not my loss.”

            Everyone gave one another looks of disbelief. How could anyone be so reckless? Different murmurs arose from the crowd ranging from “talented” to “reckless” to “suicidal” to “amazing” to “foolish”. _Wait, is Sev actually jealous?_ Cass flashed Sev a smug smile.

            “Explosions?! You should not have attempted any magic at all—especially not dangerous spells!” Rose resembled her namesake as she flushed with righteous anger, about to launch into full-on lecture mode.

            “It’s fine,” Cass sighed with a casual wave of her hand. “My papa was there just in case anything went wrong.”

            “Man, I wish dad would let me do explosion spells…”

            “Hugo, shut up.”

            “You’re not mum, Rose!” The two derailed from the original topic in favor of hurling infantile insults at each other.

            “B-but you’re muggleborn!” Susan exclaimed. She stood up and adopted a similar stance to Rose’s.

            Indignant heat rose within Cass. Her papa had warned her about certain prejudices but she really didn’t expect it from Susan of all wizards!

            “Muggleborns are just as capable as any pureblood! My papa says that blood purity is all just nonsense and that any wizard who says otherwise is just jeal—”

            “No! That’s not my point! You’re muggleborn so what could your dad do if something went wrong?! Oh Merlin, did you get hurt? Explosions weren’t the only thing you tried, were they?!”

            _She-she’s worried about me? Aha! I knew Susan wouldn’t be that kind of witch! She’s **my** first friend, after all. _ Cass relaxed into a large grin.

            “I-I’m serious, Cass!”

            “Don’t worry, don’t worry. My papa is a wizard. I’m adopted, remember?” Cass explained with a beam. She couldn’t help but feel happy that Susan didn’t “betray” her.

            “Oh…” Susan’s hand dropped from her hips as she processed this new information about her friend. Now that she thought about it, some things made more sense. “Is that why you’re already used to saying ‘Merlin’?”

            “Yep,” Cass confirmed nodding.

            “Wow, that’s a pretty big coincidence isn’t it?” Sev briefly wondered what Cass’s dad was doing in the muggle world. After all, Wizarding World is really an amazing place. He’d never leave if he had a choice.

            “Why didn’t you tell us all earlier, mate? Could’ve saved poor Susan the heart attack,” Thomas chuckled at the blushing girl.

            “I just found out papa was a wizard after I got the letter, you know.”

            “So you, a muggle child, was adopted by a wizard living in the muggle world pretending to be a muggle, but then you turned out to be a muggleborn witch so he revealed his secret identity?” the quartet startled, realizing that the siblings were done squabbling over pretty much nothing.

            “Hugo….” Rose groaned at her brother’s summary. No matter how many times Rose and their mother warned him, Hugo was still much too brash.

            “Yep, pretty much,” Cass replied, matching the redhead’s easy-going air. The new boy looked like a younger, male version of his older sister. _If he’s sorted into Gryffindor, what a sight these Weasley siblings would be! So much red, but it suits them quite well._

            Cass turned to Rose, “Is that the Gryffindor uniform?”

            “Yes it is, Miss…”

            “Cass is fine, if I may call you Rose?”

            “Oh, of course!”

            Susan gazed at Cass with amazement. Cass found that social interactions were really nothing as difficult as her papa made it seem. As she warmed up to the muggleborn witch, Rose began explaining the school curriculum and information about Houses that perhaps not even professors knew. Susan listened, enraptured by this new information. The boys soon lost interest as if they’ve heard it all before. _Papa always said that there’s no such thing as useless information._

            “If you know what House you really want to be in, the Sorting Hat will also take your preferences into consideration.” Rose continued, “However, it won’t allow you to be sorting into a House that truly would not suit you.”

            “Well how would it know? I mean there’s magic and all, but people can always change,” Cass trailed off, “whether they want to or not….”

            “Hmmm, I’m actually not too certain about that. I might research into the Sorting Hat a bit more. But I think it has more to do with a person’s core being rather than personality. Perhaps no matter how much a person changes, there are certain parts of them that will always hold true.”

            “Speeaaaking of houses, what house do you all want to get in? I’m going to Gryffindor for sure!” Hugo interrupted.

            Thomas looked thankful for the lecture interlude. The blond was falling asleep but was far too polite to cut her off himself.

            “I’m not sure. Maybe Ravenclaw or Gryffindor, since those are my parents’. Well, to be honest, I’ve got no preferences really.” Thomas smiled.

            “B-both of my parents were in Gryffindor, but I’m hoping to be Ravenclaw!” Susan’s glasses seemed to gleam under the train lights.

            “Gryffindor. Wouldn’t want to disappoint dad,” Sev added lightly.

            “Then perhaps we could be House rivals or something of that manner. That way, we can determine the winner. I’m going to be in Slytherin like my papa was!” Cass continued as she fiddled with the metallic puzzle piece around her neck, “Or you might even end up in Slytherin with me. I’d be willing to bet I can earn more House Points that you.”

            “I still can’t think of the reason why there was no re-casting. I’ll definitely look into it,” Rose mumbled to herself.

            “C-can I help?”

            “Sure, I might need all the help I can get for this one. There’s not much information on Priori Incantatem.”

            Hogwarts Express slowed to the halt when Cass suddenly cried out, “Wait, what about the snack cart Susan told me about?”

            “Ahhh, it probably passed by during the stalemate,” Sev deduced. “There’s always Hogsmeade where we could sneak out and buy snacks.”

            Cass froze. Her nails dug into her palms. She bit her lips, on the verge of tears.

_Stay calm. Don’t cry. Only **children** cry. Just-just think of it as the first step to saving up for an owl. It’s just sweets, even if they’re **Wizarding** , **magical** sweets, they are just made to be eaten in the end. And who knows how much train carts sell them for? It’s obvious that they would mark up prices because students on the Express are hungry and bored, right? Besides, Wizarding currency is more expensive that muggle currency. How much do you think an owl costs, Cass? And then there’s the cage and food supply and grooming supplies and toys! If you want an owl, then there’s no money to spare for indulgence! This is practically a blessing-in-disguise! It’s really nobody’s fault really. It’s fine. Really._

            Cass spun on her heels and marched right up to Sev and gave him the death glare usually reserved for that librarian. _Slytherin is going to destroy Gryffindor!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Good luck on finals for those who are cramming!

            Susan wondered if it was really something to stay mad about. She furtively peeked at the still-pouting Cass as they walked. Susan wished that one of the boys or even Rose, would break this unnatural tension. She was scared that the longer the silence lasted, the harder it would be for them to make up.

            “Didn’t you pack some candy?” Thomas whispered nudged at the dumbfounded boy.

            “Yeah, right,” Sev dug around for his bag of treats. He stopped for a moment to question why he wanted to give Cass _his_ candy to make _her_ happy again. It wasn’t even remotely his fault! He reasoned that this was his thanks for the inspiration. Besides, if they were going to be Housemates, it’d be better to get along. “Have you had a chocolate frog before?”  
            “No… but I’ve heard about them,” Cass glanced at the offered chocolate with suspicion.

             “Here, truce.”

            “But why?”

            “To make up for the cart.”

            “It wasn’t even your fault.” Cass wasn’t even being sarcastic! The girl was completely serious.

            “You….” Sev fancied himself a logical person, but this witch was wearing him down. Wasn’t she the one who blamed him in the first place? He sighed. “I don’t want you to be upset, okay?”

            “Oh.” Cass thinks that this might be the second-no, third most awkward moment of her life. _Ah, right. How did papa apologize again?_ Unfortunately for Cass, he didn’t. At least not often. And rarely sincerely. “I um, I was just upset earlier. It’s not-I mean-I shouldn’t have um, well…. Well, I didn’t mean it alright! Thanks for the frog.” Sev had to strain himself to hear the last part.

_Okay, I guess I wouldn’t mind being in the same House._ Cass ducked her head to examine the edible frog before anyone could note the pink in her cheeks. She wasn’t quite fast enough.

            “You shouldn’t eat it now. It’ll spoil your appetite. The banquet will start right after the Sorting.”

_True…._

            Susan relaxed. Her first friend group wouldn’t fall apart after less than a day!

            Cass moved to put the chocolate into her smaller bag as she gave Sev a soft grin.

            “You alright, mate?” Thomas was, in Sev’s opinion, unnecessarily observant at times. The dark-haired boy was merely taken aback by how fast Cass’s mood seemed to change. It was nothing that warranted his friend’s concern. And certainly not something that warranted his cousin’s smirk before she moved to join her fellow Gryffindors.

            All her parents’ vivid descriptions could not prepare Susan for the scene before her. She heard a soft gasp coming from Cass’s direction but she couldn’t be sure. Susan was too busy soaking in the lights above the water as they approached the castle that was to be their home for the next seven years.

            Cass openly gaped as the school—if it could be called that—came into view. She mentally scolded herself for forgetting to snap some pictures as they were ushered under the bright lights of the Great Hall.

            There must be at least 600 students sitting at each table. Or was she seeing multiples? It’s hard to tell. Cass felt her head spin. Everyone’s mouths were moving but she could only hear the sound of waves in her ear. _Not here. Not here._ Not a single familiar face. Cass was a foreigner here. She was alone again.

            “Cass?”

            A hand was on her shoulder. Cass tensed up at the unexpected contact.

            “Are you okay?”

            Cass found chocolate eyes wide with concern.

            “Yeah, mate. You alright there?”

_More blue than grey._

            “Not gonna pass out, are you?”

_So red._

            “Give her some space, you guys.”

            Cass laughed. Not from hysteria, not from embarrassment, not at herself. It was simple, pure laughter. It startled Cass almost as much as it did the others. So she laughed some more.

            “C-cass?”

            “I’m fine. Better than fine, really—” before she could elaborate, singing rang through the Hall.

            The Sorting has begun.

            “Abbott, Alice.”

            Cass wasn’t prepared for the viciousness of the process.

            “I heard that no one knows who her father is.”

            “S’why she’s got her mother’s name.”

            “She _lives_ in the Leaky Cauldron!”  
            Thank Merlin Cass was muggleborn. Gossiping tones still grated on her nerves even after all these years.

            “I even heard that she does chores there! Like a house elf!”

_That’s it!_

            A hand gripped Cass’s arm. Green eyes caught hers.

            “But they—” she whispered angrily.

            Sev cautioned with a discreet shake of his head.

            “Gryffindor!”

            The Hall suddenly roared with applause. Most of which came from the red and gold section.

            Now that Cass looked closely, there were only about 60 students per House. Though some tables had slightly more than others.

            Two of the gossipers went to Slytherin. _Great. Just great._

            “Longbottom, Thomas.”

            “Hufflepuff!”

_That was quick._

            It was fortunate that no one spoke poorly of the Longbottom heir. In fact, no one gossiped at all. It could be that the Hat decided too quickly for chatter. Unlikely. It could have been due the influence of his father’s contributions to The War. Possible. And it could have been due to the presence of Potter. Probable. Or maybe it was due to the tension created by the sudden chilling atmosphere that enveloped the yet-to-be-sorted group that seemed to dominate any budding conversation. Either way, Cass was quite satisfied.

_That’s what I thought._

            She is, after all, her papa’s child.

            “Malfoy, Cassiopeia.”

            The Hall was silent for the first time since the gates opened.

            Cass gingerly placed the sentient accessory atop her head. _Is this sanitary?_

_Why of course!_

_Well, it **is** magic…. Oh Merlin, more telepathy?_

            It was a bit unsettling to hear a hat chuckle in her mind.

            It seemed as though an hour passed. And Cass was not known for patience.

_It doesn’t take **that** long to sift through memories now does it?_

_Hm…._

_Just eleven years, you know._

_Hmm…_

_Come on now. Isn’t it obvious?_

_Hmmm…._

_Slytherin, right?_

_Hmmmm…._

_Hurry up!_

            “GRIFFINDOR!”

_That’s more like it._

            As Cass removed the hat, the school that had remained deathly quiet the entire time abruptly came alive. There were no cheers from any of the tables. Instead, the room was buzzing with whispers until it sounded no different than if its occupants had been screaming. It was too loud. The only words that distinguishable from the chaos were “Malfoy” and “Gryffindor”.

            Cass froze between the middle tables.

_Wait…._

_What?_

_What!??_

_WHAT??!!?_

            “Miss Malfoy. Please, take a seat.” Cass’s confusion must have shown on her face. “Gryffindor.”

_Where again?_ Cass looked around the Hall.

_Ah, there’s Thomas with the Hufflepuff. An encouraging smile. That’s good. Maybe I heard wrong. Susan. Is that a smile or a grimace? Could it be that I was sorted…? Nononono._

            Cass’s eyes fell on the boy whose hair was the definition of disaster. The boy whose very bright green eyes seemed to be shining with amusement. The boy whose shaking shoulders seem to be suppressing chuckles. The boy who looks like he’s enjoying this a bit too much.

_Shit._

            “Miss Malfoy?”

            Cass was pale—paler than usual—as she dropped boneless into the seat beside a blonde first-year. The rest of the table sat frozen as well. Staring at their new housemate as if she were a werewolf without wolvesbane.

            The Sorting continued. Cass couldn’t be sure, since she was no longer fully present, but it seemed as though the cheers were not as loud. The attention of the general Hogwarts populace was now split between the to-be-sorted and the Malfoy. The _Gryffindor_ Malfoy.

_Let’s conduct some experiments later, shall we? The purpose of this experiment is to determine the limits of magical protection on sentient hats. I do wonder if magical fires can destroy it. If not, would a normal fire do? Miniature particle accelerator to damage it on the atomic level? So many hypotheses, only one specimen. Tsk, tsk._

            “Potter, Albus Severus.”

            Cass shelved away her newest (and perhaps most unrealistic) torture scientific brainstorm. She snapped to the present. And so—she noticed—did everyone else.

            It took a long time—nearly as long as Cass’s own Sorting. Merlin, Cass swore that she would wipe off that infuriating smirk that was permanently featured on Sev’s ugly face. It grew bigger.

            “Alright…. SLYTHERIN!”

            And so, the Hogwarts House of Witchcraft and Wizardry officially fell into a seven-year madness.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No one ever bullies a Malfoy. Ever. Also, poor Professor Potter.

            “At least we’re still together, huh?” The youngest Weasley doesn’t even bother swallowing before shoveling another spoonful into his mouth. 

            _At least one of us has appetite._

            The Hall is loud—even louder than the usual opening banquets. Even the staff table was in heated debate. Is it possible for old magical artifacts to turn senile?

Across the room, deep green catches Cass’s eyes. The boy flashed Cass a self-satisfied smirk. _That little shit!_

            “Merlin, you’re pretty strong!”

            Strange, Cass doesn’t recall picking up a deformed utensil.

At a sudden burst of laughter, Cass looks up. _Lucky Susan._

            “Nerd jokes,” Hugo said as he follows her line of sight.

If only she had also been sorted into Ravenclaw, not _Gryffindor_ of all Houses.

_Gryffindor! What would papa say…._

            “Well, sorry you ended up with _me_ instead,” Hugo pouts, arms crossed.

            “H-how? Wait no-that’s not what I meant!”

            Cass’s panic turns into irritation at Hugo’s bark of laughter. “Hey, if it makes you feel any better, I think Gryffindor kinda suits you more.”

            “ _Awww_ , but what would her _Death Eater daddy_ think?” a first-year sneers, his voice pinched in a way that grates on Cass’s already-worn nerves.

            “And who asked you?” She won’t escalate things. Cass promised her papa that she’d refrain from making mortal enemies. Cass had thought that mortal enemies weren’t a real thing. But then again, magic is real so….

            “Stop it! The poor girl already has _Draco Malfoy_ as her dad!”

            “Hey, do ya think she’ll get disowned?”

            “What do _you_ know about Papa?” _Normal_ enemies were still fair game.

            “ _Everyone_ knows Draco Malfoy. The bully who tormented Harry Potter! An evil—”

            “Hey that’s enough!” Hugo inserts himself between the Cass and the nasally blond.

            “What are you going to do about it?”

            The two tall first-years stepped close. Cass thinks she imagined lightning flying between them.

            Before they realized, the Gryffindor table rearranged itself, students sitting based on their factions within their respective age. Half felt that Cass didn’t belong, while the others defended the young Malfoy (“Children are not their parents!”). And a select few merely looked on at the spectacle.

            The clamor gathered attention from other Houses. The staff stopped their discussion and watched as the student body was reduced to Faction McLaggen and Faction Weasley. The four unlucky enough to be the House Heads finds that other professors were desperately avoiding eye contact. ‘Better you than me.’

            “She’s got the blood of evil running through her veins!” the blond screeches.

            “HA! Cass isn’t even re—”

            **_BAM!_**

            Both Gryffindors jumps at the sound.

            “I am Cassiopeia Malfoy.” The cause of discord tilts her pointy chin at the blond boy. “And just _who_ do you think you are?”

            The tall first-year composed himself, an air of self-importance envelopes him once more. “I’m McLaggen. Connor—”

            “—never mind. It matters not.” Cass cuts him off after giving him an exaggerated mock once-over. Seeing his expression, Cass suddenly felt that the food was delicious.

            “Do you know who my father is?” The boy got over his shock and stomps closer, face blotchy with anger.

            “Do I look like I care?”

            “Well _your_ father is a slimey—”

            “Your obsession with my papa is disturbing and inappropriate. Not to mention unreciprocated.” Cass smirks at the boy’s gaping expression. She didn’t think she would get the chance to repeat those lines this soon.

            Snickers ripples through the room. The boy looked like he wanted to grab the knife she using to cut up her steak, and stake it through her heart.

            “Don’t worry, you’ll find someone someday.” Cass glances up from her meal, gives him another exaggerated once-over. “Well, maybe not.”

            The Hall erupted into laughter.

            Cass flips her hair at the ‘That’s-not-very-nice’ look from the Slytherin table. Honestly, the mirth in the Potter heir’s eyes ruined the effect. She replies with a ‘Well-who-said-I-was-nice?’ eye-roll.

            It doesn’t matter that she’s a Gryffindor. This muggleborn is a Malfoy, not a Doormat. Cass is more than capable of defending herself. Even so, the red-head probably made a ‘mortal enemy’ because of her.

            _Friends are… not bad._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 It’s been hours since lights-out. She was “lucky” enough to be assigned the window bed. The silver of her pendant twinkled beneath the strong moonlight. _Did papa suffer from insomnia his first Hogwarts night too – or did a muggle background just not prepare her well enough?_ Cass sighs, pulling the covers over her head, hoping that lack of air will let her black out already.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Rose’s intel definitely prepared her for some classes. For example, the potions professor was, indeed, a grump. Cass had no idea that a portrait could be so irritable (but to be fair, she didn’t know that portraits could even become irritated).

            And he looks at Cass like she just destroyed the very core of his beliefs. Professor Snape didn’t call Cass out on anything. Just stared at her part angry, part confused, and part nostalgically. It was deeply unsettling.

            Cass almost wished for his customary terrorization reserved for Gryffindors—until the fool (McLarry or something of the like) caught the brunt of his wrath.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Rose’s intel definitely did not prepare her for some other classes.

            According to the Gryffindor unanimous consensus, Sev’s dad, aka the famous Harry Potter, was (is?) apparently her papa’s mortal enemy. He is also the DADA professor. As well as the Gryffindor House Head. So her own House Head basically hates her papa. _Wonderful_.

            She only hopes that Sev feels the same way. Actually, Cass thinks he might have it worse. At least _her_ name isn’t Harriet.

            The thought first occurred to her when she found out that her potions professor was a literal portrait of crankiness. But it seems that that Hogwarts is really, severely understaffed. Either that, or his qualifications are just that good, because it turns out that Professor Potter is also teaching flying class. And apparently, Harry Potter even supervises the Gryffindor practices sometimes.

            Cass decides that Quidditch couldn’t be as fun as Hugo made it out to be. 

            Flying was a mixed class with the Slytherin, so naturally Potter and Malfoy grouped together. Because Hugo and Connor were lost in their own bickering, the bespectacled professor somehow came to the conclusion that grouping the two together would lessen their animosity. He sighed with a strange sense of déjà vu. The-Man-Who-Re-Lived-His-Memories rubbed his temples, remembering just how much that tactic helped ease the tension between him and a particular blond.

            “Up!” the students shouted.

            Harry observes the class, refraining from making suggestions too early, and sees the young Malfoy command the broom on first-try and flash his son a smug smile. Sev, in return, grinned as his broom flew up with a wordless command.

            “You cheater! You’ve done this before!”

            “Need me to teach you?” his son taunts her.

            “Humph,” Cass lays her broom back on the ground. It takes her a couple tries but the broom finally responds. “Ha.”

            Sev’s smirk quickly dropped.

            Harry hasn’t felt this way in a long, long time. A sense of foreboding crept down his spine. ‘This will not end well.’

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Harry fought the urge to strangle his niece. The messy-haired professor received an emergency call, and left in a haste after explicitly ordering the students that they were only allowed to hover three feet above ground.

            Why had he done that? The former war hero should’ve cast a restriction charm on the brooms! To make matters worse, Rose’s emergency was needing a supervisor to try out a spell modification. Sure, it was a breakthrough, it would help Aurors in apprehending multiple suspects at once, but he left a group of first-years with brooms _unsupervised_ for nearly ten minutes!

            Thank Merlin for tenure. And understaffed institutions.


End file.
